On April 4, in the city of Samarkand, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, participated and spoke at the High-Level Forum entitled “Central Asia facing global climate challenges: consolidation for common prosperity”.

The Head of State, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, stated that the world is facing the challenges of climate change today, and our region is no exception.

It was emphasized that the tragic consequences of climate change are causing great damage to the economies and ecosystems of our countries and threatening people’s lives.

The President of our country, Emomali Rahmon, recalled the annual amount of financing for climate programs in Tajikistan, emphasizing that it amounts to more than $400 million, and in case of major consequences, this figure will reach $1.5 billion.

It was stated that in such conditions, only the joint efforts of the countries of the region and the support of the world community will help us overcome these problems.

According to the Head of State, over the past twenty years, water and climate-related programs proposed by Tajikistan have been actively implemented on the global stage, and special attention is paid to the issues of climate change and environmental sustainability.

“The adoption of 14 relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly at the initiative of Tajikistan has laid a solid foundation for achieving coordinated global goals in the field of water,” — stated the President of the country, Emomali Rahmon, and emphasized that our global initiatives have also contributed to the implementation of goals, including the goals of the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

As was stressed, there is a close connection between energy and climate change, and the development of “green” energy can be a positive step towards climate protection.

It was noted that Tajikistan currently produces 98 percent of its electricity from its own hydropower sources, and our country ranks sixth in the world in terms of “green” energy production from renewable sources, and according to the plan, by 2032 it will completely switch to the production of electricity from renewable sources.

It was emphasized that the glaciers of Tajikistan are the main source of water resources in the region, and 60 percent of the water in Central Asia is formed within the territory of our country.

Speaking about the importance of climate change issues, the Head of State expressed concern about the melting of glaciers, including the complete melting of about 1,300 out of 14,000 glaciers in Tajikistan over the past fifty years.

According to the President of the country, this is a very alarming trend, since the glaciers of Tajikistan are not only a source of water for the region, but also play an important role in maintaining the climate of the region.

“The United Nations General Assembly, at the initiative of Tajikistan, declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and March 21 the World Glacier Day,”- said the Head of State, Emomali Rahmon, and recalled that, based on this decision, the first High-level International Conference dedicated to Glaciers’ Preservation will be held in Dushanbe in May of this year, which will represent another significant role of Tajikistan in the global climate agenda.

Calling on the participants of the forum to actively participate in the work of the Dushanbe Conference and, in general, to contribute to the protection of glaciers, the President of the country expressed confidence that the results of the Dushanbe Conference and the joint efforts of the countries participating in its work will undoubtedly play a considerable role in the successful holding of the COP-30 Conference in Brazil at the end of this year.

The use of modern energy-saving technologies and a careful attitude to water as the most important resource of life were considered the main conditions for reducing its losses. In this context, the international community was called upon to take measures to increase financing for climate protection measures and to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters in vulnerable countries, especially developing countries.